How about some creative gambling today. I'll take the White Sox in game 2 of their twin bill providing they do not come back from the 4-1 deficit they face in the 8th of game 1. If they should rally for the W in the opener then make today passe.

6-7 day for the field. Lead and Earl pass. GHCS and ASP post wins. JP keeps his chances of getting in a tiebreak alive with a win. Burns becomes mathematically eliminated when Johan and the Mets fall to the 'Stros.

6 days left. Thurs is the final day of the pool, would also be the day any tiebreaker possible people would pick every game on the board.

2-5 day for the field, which included a crippling loss for Earl, who fell when the Padres were given a good ole country whoopin by the resurgent Nats. Earl fell to 21-7, and had the Nats and Reds left. Five people are still mathematically alive. Five days left.

GHCS and Earl continue to put the pressure on The Lead Man, with both picking up wins yesterday. Four days left in the pool. Lead Man, at 22-5, is one game up on both competitors. GHCS, like Lead, has three picks left, and sits at 21-6. Earl has just one pick left, but is already to 22 wins, sitting at 22-7. ASP and JP need to win out, and have the three aforementioned guys all lose out.

Note that each of the top three competitors all have the Reds left, who host the lowly Padres for four games during these last four days of the pool.

Remember, for picks to be valid, they must be timestamped, in this thread, by the official start time of the game as listed in the Schedule portion of these updates. So for a 7:05 game, a 7:05 timestamped pick is valid. 7:06 is not. Another reminder, most total wins takes the pool, not best winning %. And if you get rained out on the final day of the pool, you are screwed.

Any players who have a chance to finish in a tie going into the final day will pick all the games on that final day, which is Thursday. If they still have a selection left, they will obviously have to note that selection amongst all the picks. If two people tie at say 23-7, and both go 7-7 picking games on Thursday, we will go to run differential in those games to decide the winner.

Earl has officially applied the pressure on the Lead Man. If the Lead Man is capable of feeling pressure that is.

Showing a serious sack, backing the Reds last night with Homer Bailey on the hill, Earl was rewarded when the talented but thus far disappointing Bailey came through, allowing only 6 hits and 1 walk in 7 1/3 IP in a 6-4 win over the Padres. The Reds had better matchups this week, but with GHCS and Lead Man still with the Reds to pick, Earl went with Bailey last night and was rewarded.

Earl finishes the phase with a stellar 23-7 mark. The Lead Man needs to go 2-1 these next two days to win the pool. 1-2 to get into a playoff. GHCS (who lost with the Orioles last night) needs a 2-0 finish to tie Earl, and needs to hope the Lead Man wins no more than one of his final three. Lead Man will be making a pick on the final day of the pool, and has no doubt looked at the advance weather reports for New York, Milwaukee, and Cincinnati. Earl's win with the Reds last night also mathematically eliminated JP and ASP, both of whom can finish no better than 22-8.

Three days left in what has been an exciting phase. Two wins, and The Lead Man can secure his third title in this, the fifth official phase of the TCF Pick 30 pool.

The human race, to which so many of my readers belong, has been playing at children's games from the beginning, and will probably do it till the end, which is a nuisance for the few people who grow up. - G. K. Chesterton

Before a raucous crowd 14,152 in Cincinnati, former Indians Kevin Kouzmanoff drove in two RBI's ... including a 7th inning sac fly that was the difference maker in a 3-2 Padres win over the Reds. A game that was meaningless to 99.9% of the free world, but not to the members of the TCF Pick 30 Contest.

The Lead Man backed the Reds. The loss drops him to 22-6. He now needs wins in each of the final two nights to secure Phase II over Earl, and we are assured of at least a potential tiebreaker. Lead and Earl, and maybe GHCS (needs wins the next two nights to get in, a win tonight to make all the picks) will have to pick every game on Thursday.

Earl is in the clubhouse at 23. Lead at 22. GHCS at 21. Two nights left.

Playing for the YTD this week.you had me for a loss yesterday.I put in for Johnny Cueto on THURSDAY.Played poker with his primo hermano at the Sun over the weekend.Johnny is definitely the competitor in the family.

The human race, to which so many of my readers belong, has been playing at children's games from the beginning, and will probably do it till the end, which is a nuisance for the few people who grow up. - G. K. Chesterton